Chapter 263: Encrypted Communication (Bonus Chapter for Alliance Leader Feng Zhi Ye) (Third Update)

“Glad you like it. We’ll be going now. You two should get some rest early.”

Su Ming said with a gentle smile, patting her head.

“Alright.”

Katini nodded obediently in response.

Su Ming and the others then turned and left the room.

Third day, noon, within the training area.

Everything was as usual, and the entire training ground was bustling with activity.

At this moment, Su Ming and the others were operating their mechs, training in an orderly fashion.

Mia sat on a small stool, sipping wine and watching Su Ming and the others train, enjoying a leisurely and comfortable time.

Just then, Hai Lan and Katini walked over, carrying two boxes of water.

Upon seeing them, Mia called out to Su Ming and the others.

“Halftime break!”

Hearing this, Su Ming and the others quickly maneuvered their mechs back to their stations. They then opened their cockpits and jumped out one by one.

Hai Lan and Katini unboxed the water, carried the bottled water forward, and distributed it to Su Ming and the others.

“Thank you.”

Su Ming smiled as he took the bottled water handed to him by Katini.

“Brother Su Ming, you’re all so amazing, being able to control such large machines.”

Katini said with great admiration.

“It’s alright!”

Su Ming replied with a smile.

Rhein and the others, however, were grinning from ear to ear, happily saying,

“This is nothing; we’ll be controlling even more powerful mechs in the future!”

“Really?!”

Katini replied with great curiosity.

“Of course.”

Rhein and the others teased Katini while drinking water.

Su Ming watched Rhein and the others bragging and shook his head with a smile.

Red Fang’s command room.

Commander Xiao Ye walked in and headed straight for the command chair.

Lieutenant Anjie stood up and respectfully greeted him.

“Commander Xiao Ye, aren’t you going to rest a bit longer?”

“No. How much longer until we initiate superluminal flight?”

Commander Xiao Ye asked indifferently.

“There are 5 hours and 21 minutes left. Everything is currently normal.”

Lieutenant Anjie checked the time and provided the exact duration.

“Hmm.”

Commander Xiao Ye walked to the command chair and sat down.

Just then, a prompt suddenly appeared on the operation screen.

“Notification: Encrypted message received.”

Upon seeing it, Lieutenant Anjie immediately began decrypting it. Soon, the message was displayed. She looked at the content and, with a slight change in expression, reported to Commander Xiao Ye.

“Commander, we’ve received an order from the military. They want us to immediately proceed to the coordinates 4215, 5121, 7141 in the Sand Flow Star Sea. We are to rescue a Level 4 battleship called the nautilus. They said there’s an internal issue with the ship, and there are important personnel and items inside.”

At this moment, many personnel in the command room were in an uproar upon hearing Angie’s words.

“What’s going on? They want us to rescue them?”

“Who in the military issued this order?”

Commander Xiao Ye’s eyes flickered slightly, his expression unchanged, as he simply said,

“Ignore it. Refuse the order. The battleship will continue forward.”

“Is that alright?”

Lieutenant Anjie looked at Commander Xiao Ye with some concern.

“Do as I say.”

Commander Xiao Ye did not want to go on a rescue mission. The battleship was full of students, and he could tell with his toes that such a vague rescue order was very dangerous.

“Understood!”

Lieutenant Anjie immediately drafted a reply message.

However, not long after Lieutenant Anjie sent the message, a prompt appeared on the operation screen.

“Notification: Remote encrypted communication request received. Accept or decline!”

Angie and the others all looked at Commander Xiao Ye, awaiting his command.

Commander Xiao Ye spoke in a deep voice.

“Connect!”

“Yes!”

Angie and the others immediately connected the communication.

Immediately after, a man in a major general’s military uniform, with a stern and resolute face, a straight nose, and graying temples, appeared on the screen.

Upon seeing him, Commander Xiao Ye immediately saluted the man before him.

“Commander, I am Colonel Xiao Ye, Captain of the Royal Court Academy’s Red Fang.”

The general returned the salute, then coldly questioned,

“I am General Jessa of the Federation’s Twelfth Night Shadow Legion. Why did you refuse the rescue?”

“General, the Red Fang is carrying first-year cadets from Royal Court Academy. I believe they are incapable of undertaking this rescue mission, and therefore, I refuse to execute this task.”

Commander Xiao Ye replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Commander Xiao Ye’s answer came from the heart. If the ship had been carrying senior students, he would not have refused so decisively.

Upon hearing Commander Xiao Ye’s words, General Jessa’s expression immediately worsened, and he directly retorted,

“Don’t try to fob me off with such excuses. Even first-year students from Royal Court Academy are not that bad. And there must be accompanying teachers. Are you just going to stand by and watch them die?”

“Commander, I still refuse. You can have other battleships provide support.”

Commander Xiao Ye replied, unyielding.

“There’s no time. If there were, would I be looking for you? Right now, you are the closest to the nautilus, and only you are capable of undertaking the rescue mission! I’ll be frank with you, there are very important personnel and items on the nautilus, and there can be no mishaps!”

Jessa replied grimly.

“I apologize, but we are truly unable to help.”

Hearing this, Commander Xiao Ye refused even more decisively.

Jessa suddenly slammed the console, angrily saying to Commander Xiao Ye,

“Commander Xiao Ye, I am not discussing this with you. I am now giving an order as your superior. Are you defying orders?”

“I apologize, Commander, but I am also following orders from Royal Court Academy, and I cannot defy them. Furthermore, your authority is not as high as my superior’s.”

Commander Xiao Ye replied without the slightest fear.

“You, you are defying orders. I will report this matter to the military, and then you will be held accountable.”

“I apologize, Commander, I still refuse!”

“Good, very good. Royal Court Academy is indeed formidable; you don’t even listen to military orders anymore. You’re just going to watch your comrades perish, standing by and doing nothing. I will make this matter public online and let everyone see what kind of place Royal Court Academy is.”

Seeing that Commander Xiao Ye was unyielding, Jessa directly threatened him.

Upon hearing Jessa’s words, Commander Xiao Ye’s face darkened completely. He could defy orders and was not afraid of Jessa reporting him to the military.

However, Commander Xiao Ye had to consider the possibility of Jessa publicizing the matter, which could potentially bring significant negative repercussions to Royal Court Academy. Thus, he said in a deep voice,

“I cannot make this decision. I will have Vice Principal Fuleike speak with you.”

“Alright!”

Jessa nodded in agreement.

Commander Xiao Ye turned to Angie and said,

“Go and invite Vice Principal Fuleike over.”

“Understood!”

Angie immediately sent a message to Fleck.

Minutes later, Vice Principal Fuleike rushed into the command room, walked up to Jessa’s projection, and asked with a dark expression,

“What happened?”

Jessa suppressed his anger and said to Vice Principal Fuleike,

“Vice Principal Fuleike, I need your help now. You must go and rescue the nautilus.”

Although Fleck and Jessa were not from the same system, unfortunately, Fleck’s administrative rank was even higher than Jessa’s.